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Night Whispers - January 10

“Also Esau saw that the daughters of Canaan did not please his father Isaac. So Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael, Abraham's son, the sister of Nebajoth, to be his wife in addition to the wives he had.” NKJV

Signs of softening

I like Esau. Indeed, I like him much better than Jacob. The problem is that God loves Jacob more. Much, much more. Frankly I don’t get it but then I am not supposed to get it! God is God and I am not. Let the facts then stand, “And not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father Isaac (for the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works but of Him who calls), it was said to her, ‘The older shall serve the younger.’ As it is written, ‘Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated’." - Romans 9:10-13 NKJV

The plain reading of the Old Testament text regarding the outworking of this Divine favour does in fact reveal the outworking of this election to have been carried out both callously and maliciously. So much so that Esau is on many points simply left to scratch his head as he repeats to himself “just what the heck was going on!”

Certainly our text for today is from the outworking of one of those Esau head scratching musings. I wonder if Esau was saying to himself, “How on earth did I get here? Why does my dad despise me in his actions and why does my mom hate me in her heart?” His conclusion to his musings was that his two Canaanite wives had done more harm than good to their family relationships, more than he had anticipated or even cared about. Or maybe he knew exactly what he was doing when he married them and just what damage they would do. Yes, maybe he was now simply reaping the rejection and the discord which he had so intentionally sown?

In any event, Esau’s next action, be it clumsy in the extreme, and it was! Nevertheless, shows a welcome softening and a nice change of heart. Esau, marries again and this time for the sake of love! Unfortunately not for the sake of the love of the woman he married, but for the sake of the love of the parents whose affirmation and affection he so now obviously craved after. Now, this was a very wrong action, yet a very indicative one of a softening of heart and a deep desire to change.

In the mess that is humanity and in the depths that are God’s good and gracious sovereignty, let us look for the softening and changed hearts of people even in the most stupid and stressful of situations. I tell you, all softening and change is to be rejoiced in and built upon. Look for it, look for the rise of such regretful repentance, for the Lord Himself most certainly does.

Listen: “Jesus said to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you that tax collectors and harlots enter the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him; but tax collectors and harlots believed him; and when you saw it, you did not afterward relent and believe him.’” Matthew 21:31-32 NKJV

Pray: Lord, grant to me and to many others the gift of regret. Then please lead us through our regret into the valley of relent and the safe and sure shores of repentance, in Jesus name we pray, amen.

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